Engine supporting jig



Nov'. 6,1962

Filed Sept. 17, 1959 C. D. SHOULDERS ENGINE SUPPORTING JIG Nav.w 6', 1962 c. D. sHoULDERs 32062530 ENGINE SUPPORTING JIG Filed Sept. 17, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pl. s

INVENTOR. 7i/vn 5 D. 5am/L ams.

MLM/MM United States Patent O1 3,062,530 ENGINE SUPPORTING JIG Charles D. Shoulders, R.R. 3, Box 406, Elwood, Ind. Filed sept. 17, 1959, ser. No. 840,684 Claims. (Cl. 269-71) The present invention relates to a jig or workholder which nds its primary utility in supporting small engines.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved jig or workholder.

Small gasoline engines such as those used to power lawn mowers and the like, frequently require maintenance and replacement of parts often involving removal of the engine from the lawn mower or other device. Such engines are relatively heavy and unwieldy and have irregular outer surfaces, thus making diftcult the holding of the engine while performing such operations as draining the oil, taking olf the shroud, gas tank, muffler, carburetor and other accessories, grinding the valves, removing valve springs, etc. yIn performing such operations it is necessary to position the engine in different attitudes and angles with various sides of the engine facing the rnechanic. It is desirable that means be provided for firmly holding such engines in such angles and attitudes, said means being operable to quickly change the position angle or attitude of the engine held thereby.

It is, therefore, a further object of the present invention to provide a jig or workholder for use in supporting small engines in any of a plurality of various positions and attitudes, said jig being operable to quickly change the position or attitude of the engine.

Still further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a jig embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the jig of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an alternative work support j which may be used as a part of the jig of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top View of the work support of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the jig of FIG. 1 showing a small gasoline engine being supported by the jig.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the jig of FIG. 1 having the work support of FIGS. 3 and 4 assembled therewith and showing a gasoline engine supported by the jig.

Referring now to the drawings, and more specically to FIGS. 1 and 2, my invention comprises a horizontal rectangular plate lll having fixed thereto, so as to extend upwardly therefrom, a generally channel-shaped structure, indicated generally by the numeral 11. The channel 11 is made up of a pair of legs 12a-12 and a web 15 xed between the legs and so proportioned that a small aperture 16 is formed by the legs, the web and the plate 10.

Another rectangular plate 17 is iiXed by one edge to the plate It) and is fixed by an adjacent edge to one of the legs 12 of the channel 11 and provides support for the channel 11. The plate 17 has a bore 18 in one of its corners which may be used to attach objects to the plate 17 if desired. The plate 17 and the legs 12 of the channel 11 are so fixed to the plate 10 that one surface of the plate 17 and one edge of each leg 12 is flush with one edge of the plate 10.

The legs 12 are provided with bores 20-20 which are mutually aligned and which, along with a pin 21, provide a pivotal mounting for an elongated bar 22 which has a generally square cross section. The bar 22 has a rounded oil portion 23 at its pivotally mounted end so as to allow the bar to be pivotal between the vertical position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 to a horizontal position in rice which the bar 22 is supported by the plate 1l). Alternatively, the bar 22 may be supported in such a horizontal position by engagement with the lower surface 24 of the web 1S. The apertures 20 and the aperture 25 in the bar 22, within which apertures the pin 21 is received, are so located that when the bar 22 is in a horizontal position the surface 26 is in contact with the plate 10, and the pivotally mounted end of the bar projects into the aperture 16.

The legs I2 are provided with apertures 27-27, and the bar 22 is provided with an aperture 30. When the bar 22 is in a vertical position the apertures 2'7 and 30 are aligned for reception of pin 31 for locking the bar 22 in such a vertical position. A rectangular plate 32 may be xed to the bar 22 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 by means of a screw 33 which passes through a bore 35 in the distal end of the bar 22 and is threaded within a threaded bore 36 in the plate 32. The plate 32 is provided with three bores 37-37--37 any one of which may be used with a pin 40 passing through a bore 41 in the bar 22, to locate and iiX the plate 32 in any one of a plurality of attitudes with respect to the bar 22.

The plate 32 is provided with a plurality of bores 42-42 which are so arranged as to make possible the mounting of various sized, small gasoline engines on the plate 32. A spacer 43 is received upon the screw 33 and between the bar 22 and the plate 32 to facilitate the mounting of such engines upon the plate 32. Referring to FIG. 5, it can be seen that screws such as the sere-ws 45 may be passed through one or more of the bores 42 and threaded into the cylinder head block of the engine to secure the engine to the plate 32.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the engine is in a proper position for grinding the valves 46-46 of the engine. The bar may be pivoted to a vertical position and the pin 31 inserted in the apertures 27 and 30 to lock the engine in a suitable position for crank case housing work. Assuming that the device is in the position illustrated in FIGS. l and 2, the pin 40 may be removed from the aperture 41 and the particular aperture 37 in which it is received, the plate 32 may be rotated 180 degrees about the screw 33 and the pin 40 reinserted in the aperture 37 with which the aperture 41 is now aligned to lock the engine in a position for magneto inspection and work on the other side of the engine.

Thus it can be seen that an engine mounted upon the plate 32 may be iiXed in any of a plurality of positions for Work thereon by use of the plate 10 to supportthe bar 22 in a horizontal position, by use of the pin 31 to lock the bar 22 in a vertical position and by use of the pin 40 in conjunction with the various apertures 37 to lock the plate 32 in various positions with respect to the bar 22. If desired, the plate 32 may also be xed, by means of the screw 33 and the pin 40, in such a position that the plate is above the bar 22 when the bar is in a horizontal position which makes possible even further positions of the engine for work thereon.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be seen that an alternative workholder for use with the device of FIGS. 1 and 2 is illustrated. The bar 22 has fixed to its distal end an arcuate bar 52 which has the form of a partial ring. When the bar 22 is pivoted into a horizontal position so as to be supported by the plate 10, the upwardly facing surface 53 of the bar 52 is held in a horizontal position for support of the engine in the manner illustrated in FIG. 6. When the motor is so supported, the oil may be drained therefrom, the motor shaft may be removed, the gasoline drained and the muiiier and other accessories may be removed and repaired. It will be understood from an examination of FIG. 6 that the motor may be easily rotated upon the partial ring support 52 to any position desired for such work.

The invention claimed is:

1. A jig comprising a horizontal plate, a channel fixed to said plate in such a manner that its legs project vertically therefrom, an elongated bar having an aperture near one end thereof, the legs of said channel each having an aperture which is aligned with the aperture of said bar, a pin received within said apertures providing a pivotal mounting for said bar whereby said bar may be pivoted between a Vertical and a horizontal position, said apertures being so located that, when said bar is in a horizontal position, said bar is supported by said plate, said bar and said legs having furtherapertures which are aligned when said bar is in its vertical position, a second pin for reception in said further apertures to lock said bar in its Vertical position, and means xed to said bar for supporting an object in such a manner that the object is adjustable to a plurality of positions relative to the bar.

2. A jig comprising a horizontal rectangular plate, a channel xed to said plate in such a manner that its web and legs are arranged vertically and its legs are liush with one edge of said rectangular plate, a second rectangular plate fixed by one edge to the one edge of said horizontal plate so as to project vertically upwardly, sa-id second rectangular plate having a second edge which is adjacent to its first edge and is xed to one leg of said channel, said second rectangular plate having a bore therethrough, an elongated bar having a square cross section and a bore near one end thereof, the legs of said channel each having a bore which is aligned with the bore of said bar, a pin received within said bores of said bar and legs and providing a pivotal mounting for said bar whereby said bar may be pivoted between a vertical position and a horizontal position, said bar having its one end rounded to allow such pivoting, said bores of said bar and legs being so located that, when said bar is in a horizontal position, said bar is supported by said horizontal plate, said bar and said legs having further bores which are aligned when said bar is in its vertical position, a second pin for reception in said further bores to lock said bar in its vertical position, a further plate having a plurality of apertures therethrough some of which are for mounting different objects on said plate, an arcuate bar having the form of a partial ring, means for selectively attaching said further plate and said arcuate bar to said first mentioned bar, said first mentioned bar having a further bore, a further pin receivable in said further bore and in a selected one of the remaining apertures of said plurality of apertures in said further plate for fixing said further plate in one of a plurality of positions relative to said first mentioned bar.

3. The jig of claim 1 in which said means for supporting an object is an arcuate bar having the form of a partial ring and having a supporting surface parallel to the length of said bar.

4. A jig comprising a horizontal plate, a channel fixed to said plate in such a manner that its legs project vertically therefrom, an elongated bar having an aperture near one end thereof, the legs of said channel each having an aperture which is aligned with the aperture of said bar, a pin received within said apertures providing a pivotal mounting for said bar whereby said bar may be pivoted between a vertical and a horizontal position, said apertures being so located that, when said bar is in a horizontal position, said bar is supported by said plate, said bar and said legs having further apertures which are 4aligned when said bar is in its vertical position, a second pin for reception in said further apertures to lock said bar in its vertical position, a second rectangular plate having a plurality of apertures therethrough for mounting of different objects on said plate, and having a threaded bore, a screw received in said threaded bore and securing said second plate to said bar, and a spacer received on said screw and between said bar and second plate to space said bar and second plate apart.

5. A jig comprising a horizontal rectangular plate, a channel fixed to said plate in such a manner that its web and legs are arranged vertically and its legs are ush with one edge of said rectangular plate, a second rectangular plate fixed by one edge to the one edge of said horizontal plate so as to project vertically upwardly, said second rectangular plate having a second edge which is adjacent to its first edge and fixed to one leg of said channel, said second rectangular plate having a bore therethrough, an elongated bar having a square cross section and a bore near one end thereof, the legs of said channel each having a bore which is aligned with the bores of said bar, a pin received within said bores of said legs and bar providing a pivotal mounting for said bar whereby said bar may be pivoted between a vertical and a horizontal position, said bar having its one end rounded to allow such pivoting, said bores being so located that, when said bar is in a horizontal position, said bar is supported by said horizontal plate, said bar and said legs having further bores which are aligned when `said bar is in its vertical position, a second pin for reception in said further bores to lock said bar in its vertical position, a third rectangular plate having a plurality of -apertures therethrough and having a threaded bore, a screw received in said threaded bore and securing said third plate to said bar, a spacer received on said screw and between said bar and third plate to space `said bar and third plate apart, and a pin passing through said bar and into a selected one of the apertures in said third rectangular plate for maintaining the attitude of said third plate with respect to said bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,208,522 Duncan Dec. l2, 1916 2,390,022 Wood Nov. 27, 1945 2,497,943 Ingwer Feb. 21, 1950 2,734,574 Reid Feb. 14, 1956 2,803,208 Bernard et al. Aug. 20, 1957 2,890,043 Bruns lune 9, 1959 2,973,198 Marks Feb. 28, l1961 

